KRG Ministry of Natural Resources

News and updates on how oil companies are helping IDPs and refugees who fled ISIS attacks. 

In late August 2014, the Ministry of Natural Resources broadened the Kurdistan Oil and Gas Humanitarian Initiative (KOGHI), to include assistance for tens of thousands of IDPs and refugees fleeing attacks by the Islamic State (IS).

Read here about the assistance and funding that the oil companies are providing at this critical time. 

The UN's humanitarian affairs and emergency relief chief, Valerie Amos, in September 2014 visited IDPs in Duhok governorate. Her visit highlights the enormous needs of the IDPs who have fled the violence and brutality of ISIS and found shelter in the Kurdistan Region. 

Since the Islamic State terrorist organisation entered Iraq in June this year, hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons have entered the Kurdistan Region. The Kurdistan Regional Government is providing as much assistance as it can, but it cannot tackle this massive task alone. Therefore the Ministry of Natural Resources is broadening the Kurdistan Oil and Gas Humanitarian Initiative (KOGHI) to include assistance to the new refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs).

News on projects funded by the oil industry in the Kurdistan Region and implemented by the agencies and international NGOs for the Syrian refugees under KOGHI.

The Kurdistan Oil & Gas Humanitarian Initiative (KOGHI) was launched in September 2013 by Minister Hawrami at a meeting with the oil and gas companies operating in the Kurdistan Region.

List of International Agencies Supporting Syrian Refugee Response in the Kurdistan Region - Iraq As Provided by UNHCR

To date a number of international oil companies operating in the Kurdistan Region have made important funding commitments to KOGHI. They include Gulf Keystone, Genel Energy, Taqa, Chevron, Hess, Marathon, Oil Search and Western Zagros. An estimated $15 million has been pledged so far.